Selvage systems are utilized with looms to hold the loose filling yarns extending outwardly from the normal edges of the woven fabric, and to facilitate removal of waste edge yarn of the fabric in an orderly manner to prevent stoppage of the machine, defects in the fabric, or the like. Typically leno selvage systems, such as that for a Ruti L5000 air jet loom, comprise a false selvage system wherein an outer set of leno yarns weave, bind, and carry away the weft fringe waste. Typically the weft fringe waste is shorter on the left side and longer on the right side. An inner set of leno yarns weave at each edge of the fabric, these inner leno yarns staying with the fabric to prevent unravelling at the fabric edge.
Specifically in the Ruti L5000 arrangement there is a skip dent area between outer leno yarns and the inner leno yarns on the reed on the left-hand side of the loom, a primary cutter and distinct clamp are disposed upstream of the loom temple, and a fringe cutter is disposed in a projection of the skip dent area for cutting the outer leno yarns, and associated selvage, from the fabric being woven.
On the right-hand side of the Ruti conventional loom the outer leno yarns are disposed between a filling detector and a stretch nozzle, both located at the end of the reed. A suction source is mounted on the opposite side of the stretch nozzle from the outer leno yarn, and cooperates with the stretch nozzle to provide sufficient filling yarn tension. The outer leno yarn, as on the left side, serves to bind and carry away the weft trim fringe, a fringe cutter being disposed in a projection of the area occupied by the filling detector downstream of the temple.
The utilization of a conventional outer leno selvage system, such as on the Ruti L5000 air jet loom, results in a large amount of waste, and less than ideal production efficiency since the outer leno yarns also cause loom stoppage due to breakage, tangling, etc., thereof.
According to the present invention an apparatus and method are provided for completely eliminating both the left and right outer leno yarns in a conventional air jet loom, and providing about a 50-65% reduction in the filling fringe waste. This is accomplished with no decrease in efficiency of the waste removal and as a matter of fact production efficiency increases since the outer leno yarns--which often cause loom stoppage--are eliminated. Further, various structures associated with the conventional air jet loom are simplified or eliminated, with the ultimate result being a much more efficient, yet simple, system.
The desirable results achieved according to the present invention are accomplished by providing a combined primary cutter and clamp on the left side of the loom. The fringe cutter, the skip dent area in the reed, and the outer leno yarns are eliminated by the simple act of combining the primary cutting and clamping functions; also the space between the cutting point and the reed edge is substantially reduced. Thus the fabric edge is placed at the end of the reed so that the distance from the primary cutting point to the end of the reed is reduced, achieving an acceptable fringe length so that there is no need for the fringe cutter.
The desirable objectives according to the present invention are further accomplished by modifying the right selvage components of the loom to eliminate the outer leno yarns. While the reed and filling detector remain the same, they are associated with structures that provide cooperation with a clamp to take the place of the outer leno yarns in holding the ends of the picks in place (i.e., retained in tension) so that the fabric edge is woven tightly without looseness or kinks. Since no outer leno yarns are provided, the conventional draw-off wheels may be replaced by a suction source adjacent the fringe cutter located downstream of the right temple.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for minimizing the waste associated with an air jet loom outer or auxiliary leno selvage system. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention, and from the appended claims.